


Who's to Blame for Monster Mode?

by ArgentDandelion



Category: Kill la Kill (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Altered Mental States, Analysis, Character Analysis, Communication, Gen, Nonfiction, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-23
Updated: 2015-09-23
Packaged: 2020-11-25 17:37:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20915972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentDandelion/pseuds/ArgentDandelion
Summary: Covers who's to blame for "monster mode" by analyzing dialogue from episode 12 and episode 13.





	Who's to Blame for Monster Mode?

_Note: Though the article is for general audiences, Kill la Kill is itself PG-13 to R, due to blood, swearing, and nudity._

\---

In episode 12, Ryuko becomes filled with rage while fighting Nui Harime. She then undergoes a monstrous transformation.

Who’s to blame for it? Ryuko or Senketsu? Initially, Senketsu seems to blame himself. He outright says “I won’t be able to control myself”. Specifically, he says:

> **Senketsu**: “Stop it Ryuko! It’s dangerous for your blood to get this hot! If you don’t calm down, I won’t be able to control myself!”

However, while he says this, his eyes get swirly (_above_) and there’s a sound like water draining in a bathtub or boiling water. In Western cartoons, swirly eyes is used to depict hypnosis or mind control, and the sound effect used might be suggesting Ryuko’s blood is rapidly going into Senketsu. Senketsu also sounds pained in his delivery of the second and third sentences.[1](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/129534410011/whos-to-blame-for-monster-mode#fn:1)

After the monstrous transformation, Inumuta and Jakazure discuss what is happening.

> **Inumuta**: “This is bad. She can’t control herself anymore.”
> 
> **Mako**: “Whaaaat?!”
> 
> **Jakuzure**: “She got swallowed by the power of her Kamui, huh?”
> 
> **Inumuta**: “Yes, but her body can’t handle it for long.”

“She can’t control herself anymore” can either mean “She became so very mad she cannot restrain her actions” or “She can’t control herself _[her body]_, because her kamui is in control now”. Jakazure’s choice of “swallowed” suggests it’s not Ryuko’s fault or choice that she transformed into a monster, but Senketsu’s. (In contrast, saying “enticed by the power of her Kamui” might suggest she had a choice and made a poor decision) Incidentally, she really was “swallowed” by Senketsu in the “transformation sequence” for Monster Mode, but “swallowed _by the power of_ her Kamui” seems more abstract, like going power-mad.

> **Tsumugu**: “I freakin’ knew it. You’ve been taken over by that thing.”

Tsumugu also seems to blame Senketsu.

> **Nui**: “You’re scared you’ll lose control.”

Nui, however (in episode 13), blames Ryuko.

> **Satsuki**: “Ryuko Matoi! Control yourself!”

Satsuki seems to blame Ryuko for Monster Mode, or at least holds her accountable for it. However, she then says:

> **Satsuki**: “If she can’t be reasoned with, then I have to put her down. She’s been possessed by the Life Fibers’ urge to destroy.”

It’s strange that she seems to believe Ryuko can control her actions in Monster Mode and is at the same time “possessed”. As the only other Kamui user at this point, Satsuki has a unique perspective on the experience of wielding (“wearing”) a Kamui. The others may think she’s overwhelmed by her Kamui, but Satsuki may think Ryuko voluntarily submitted to its influence.

> **Satsuki**: “A girl who’s being worn by her Kamui is no match for Satsuki Kiryuin!”

She uses the same phrase—“being worn by a Kamui” later, when Junketsu is stitched onto Ryuko’s skin and apparently influencing her allegiances. (Though perhaps not her behavior. Her tough act of being cocky, dismissive, and insulting _is_ characteristic of her.) It’s possible Satsuki is mistaken, though. At this point (episode 12) she doesn’t know Senketsu isn’t like Junketsu.

Later, after Mako smacks her back to normal,[2](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/129534410011/whos-to-blame-for-monster-mode#fn:2) Ryuko says to Senketsu:

> **Ryuko**: “Hey Senketsu. Sorry I turned you into that.”[3](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/129534410011/whos-to-blame-for-monster-mode#fn:3)

This suggests Ryuko blames herself for Monster Mode, that Senketsu didn’t turn _her_ into a monster, but that she turned _him_ into a monster.

In episode 13, Senketsu seems to still blame himself, or think Ryuko blames him: he asks Ryuko if she’s afraid of him.

> **Senketsu**: “Are you afraid of me, Ryuko?”
> 
> **Ryuko**: “No. It’s me I’m afraid of. I could feel how much it hurt you. The more my rage-filled blood pumped into you, the more power I sucked out of you. You couldn’t do anything about it…and, I could feel you crying out. I was way gone. But I could feel how bad it was hurting you. It didn’t matter. I couldn’t stop myself. And if Mako hadn’t showed up when she did, I…”

“The more power I sucked out of you”, “I was way gone” and “I couldn’t stop myself” suggest Ryuko thinks _she_ is responsible. Later, after Barazo is punched by a disciplinary committee member:

> **Ryuko**: “Senketsu, you cool to[4](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/129534410011/whos-to-blame-for-monster-mode#fn:4) stop me if I lose it again?”
> 
> **Senketsu**: “I can’t promise that. After all, you’re wearing me.”
> 
> **Ryuko**: “Jesus, for clothes you’ve got absolutely no flexibility.”[5](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/129534410011/whos-to-blame-for-monster-mode#fn:5)
> 
> **Senketsu** “When you were out of control, you did stop. And you did it on your own. That is why I’m not worried.”

Here, Ryuko repeats her assertion that she was responsible for Monster Mode, and Senketsu explicitly holds Ryuko responsible for Monster Mode. (I say this because if Senketsu thought they were _jointly_ responsible, he would have said, “When _we_ were out of control”.)

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if “Monster Mode” was a byproduct of Ryuko’s rage affecting Senketsu or if she forced the transformation on angry impulse. They expressed their regrets and reunited, and Monster Mode never happened again.

\---

**Addendum: The "No" of Forgiveness**

> **Senketsu**: “Ryuko.”
> 
> **Ryuko**: “Hey Senketsu. Sorry I turned you into that.”
> 
> **Senketsu**: “No. I’m just glad you’re all right.”

That Ryuko says “sorry I turned you into that” after Senketsu speaks to her suggests Ryuko believes Senketsu wants an apology. “No” is an strange thing to say in response to that. The most sensible explanation for Senketsu saying that is that “No” is short for “No, you don’t need to apologize.” It’s possible Senketsu chose to say only “no” rather than “No, you don’t need to apologize”, because that line would sound like he was telling Ryuko what to do, and Senketsu knows Ryuko gets angry when told what to do.

* * *

  1. I would like to be more specific, but I don’t know quite the right words to describe the delivery. It’s like an injured soldier trying to sound calm or tough while being operated upon by a field medic, but the immense pain is still obvious when talking. [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/129534410011/whos-to-blame-for-monster-mode#fnref:1)

  2. For similar instances in other works, see [this](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Ftvtropes.org%2Fpmwiki%2Fpmwiki.php%2FMain%2FBeatTheCurseOutOfHim&t=NjJkNjhhZmIxMGZlYjZmNzg0MGE1NjkzMmE3Y2YzMmYxOGUyMDYzZix0ZmxNRWVQVQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AHZZTbr56CX-Pu8cYzedJTw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fargentdandelion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F129534410011%2Fwhos-to-blame-for-monster-mode&m=1) TVTropes page. [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/129534410011/whos-to-blame-for-monster-mode#fnref:2)

  3. For more information on this dialogue exchange, see The "No" of Forgiveness.

  4. For those who know English as a second language, “cool to” means “fine with” or “okay with”. At least, I think it does, based on context. I can’t actually find an online definition of “cool” in the sense of “you cool to stop me if I lose it again”. [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/129534410011/whos-to-blame-for-monster-mode#fnref:4)

  5. She doesn’t say this with anger. In fact, even saying she said this with frustration would be stretching it. It’s more like a cat owner being accidentally scratched by a beloved cat for the umpteenth time and, instead of being angry, just saying “Oh, that’s my Fluffy, always scratching me” in a “it’s just a quirk, I can’t stay angry at you” kind of way. [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/129534410011/whos-to-blame-for-monster-mode#fnref:5)

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my [Tumblr](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/). Feel free to comment on this article there or here.


End file.
